Girly Fun

Our girls group is still going strong. We have had a few come and go. Some have gotten jobs or gone to school. Some have moved or been told they can't come till the holidays so they can focus on school. It's been a bit challenging cause I never know who or how many are going to show up. I try plan for games but sometimes we don't have enough people or it just isn't as fun with so few people. I plan things with specific people in mind but then they choose not to show up that day. Nevertheless, we are still havin' fun and being girls. 

I introduced them to the famous bridal shower game of making a wedding dress out of tissue paper. They thought I was nuts at first but they ended up totally enjoying it. They were also much more creative than I thought they would be. 

 Pheobe was a good model. Her team decided to put a 'tiara' on her which ended up looking more like a flight attendant hat. It didn't go over so well with the judges. 

And they had a little troubles with the train. 

 Irene and Susan did a good job. Irene ended up winning with their creative earrings and knot design. 

Then I brought out the balloons....who knew ballon could be so much fun! I came up with a whole bunch of games to do with balloons. This was one of the best.

 They girls had to keep the balloon in between their bodies and race. The trick was that they couldn't touch the balloons. 

These girls ended up winning. They were speedy! 

Like always, we laughed at the sheer absurdity of our games. Embarrassingly, I usually come up with these games that I am terrible at! I usually stand to the side for the first few rounds to be the judge or ref but then i join in. Once I join in, I totally ruin things or lose so quickly. 

Anyways just to show you that we are still having fun. I am planning a fun outing for them in the next couple weeks. I am thinking bowling...or beach picnic...or a local play. Something fun for these precious girls. 

Discovering Kaloleni

Like I mentioned, Kelvin had this car and this client that he had to drive around. The client's home area is just outside of Mombasa called Kaloleni. After driving there for two days, Kelvin fell in love and said he just had to take me there. Saturday morning, at 7am, we packed up and hit the road. We battled crazy traffic just to get out of the city, but once in the country side, we were in heaven. We pumped up the worship music and cruised through the village. After only a few miles, I understood why Kelvin loved it so much. 

Acres and acres of gorgeous land with humble homesteads all over the place.

 This was probably the worst patch of road we drove on. Seriously, the roads were better than in Mombasa city. 

 This area is FULL of palm trees. It's also a big producer of mnazi, a local palm wine that is cheap and addictive for the locals. 

 I started dreaming of having our own little homestead in this area one day. Of course, it won't quite look like this one but similar.

 Palm trees galore!

All that green is plantations of palm trees. I don't think I have ever seen so many palm trees in my life! 

Who knows, maybe one day we will buy ourselves a few acres, set up a children's home, and life the village life. 

A morning drive

One of our clients asked Kelvin if he could rent a car and be our client's chauffeur for two days. Kelvin quickly agreed. Kelvin loves driving. Actually, we both do but we rarely get the opportunity to. To rent a car for 24 hours costs about $30 plus gas. It's just not worth it for us especially when we can spend less than $2 a day on public transport. 

This deal is pretty sweet. We get the car for two nights. Kelvin has had to be a personal driver for two days but he is ok with that. This particular client is a drunkard so there is no way he could drive himself. Kelvin gets to bring the car home and use it for himself when our client doesn't need him. 

So this morning, we had just turned on a movie as we were eating breakfast when the power went out. I then asked if we could go for a morning drive. 

One of our favourite things to do with a car is to explore all the areas around Mombasa that you can't get to with public transport. It has led us on some pretty fun adventures. 

This morning we decided to go inland behind our apartment building and see the village life. I was surprised that, not too far from where we stay, there are villages with mud houses and all. I guess I think Mombasa is so metropolitan. 

It has also been a gloriously overcast day. That's why the pictures are grey. 

 My personal chauffeur

 We drove past one of the largest prisons on the coast (which I learned that Canada helps fund). I was shocked to see all the prisoners working outside in the fields where there is no fencing keeping them in. Those white poles  don't have any fencing in between them. Those prisoners could totally make a run for it. 

Home sweet home. Well, it's where we live. Not sure I would call it 'home'. Its our apartment building. 

Looking forward to going out to our favourite joint for breakfast tomorrow. I think we'll drive there. 

Figure 8 or Figure 1

Well it seems I have gained a noticeable amount of weight. I have had quite a few people tell me that I have 'added weight' or 'increased' or 'gotten fat' as they graciously put it. In fact, on Wednesday, my girls asked if I was pregnant before we started bible study. For those who are curious, No, I am not pregnant. 

I have noticed I have gained weight. Not a ton, but enough to make my clothes a little tighter. However, this is the first time I am actually excited that I have a little chunk on me. 

In Kenya, big is beautiful. Often, I feel a little out of place cause my butt is so flat. Honestly, women here are blessed with beautiful curves. I guess, some part of me, wants to fit in. 

But funny how in the West, skinny is beautiful. Thin, lean, slightly muscular is gorgeous. 

Amazing how society can control what is beautiful and what isn't. Amazing that what is beautiful in one place is not beautiful in another. 

I decided to chat with the girls about body image while we sat making beaded necklaces on Saturday. I asked them what the desired body image is in Kenya. 

"Figure 8"

As in a curvy, hour glass shape. In fact, they desire a large behind than a large bust. They say that a lot of guys actually prefer smaller busts. But what counts is the curvy behind. And let me tell you, African women have quite the behinds. When they dance, its like their butts are a completely different entity from the body. Seriously. 

I asked about skin colour because, believe or not, there are different shades of black. So is lighter skin more attractive or darker? 

"Black is beautiful" 

They have been taught since they were little that black is indeed beautiful. And they are all black. They are proud of their colour. 

I then began to explain how we desire thin, thin, thin. Like straight, like the number 1. Well, one girl took a while to figure out what I was talking about. Once she did, she couldn't stop laughing. "You want to look like a stick?" she burst out. I said, "Yes, I guess so." They all continued to giggle. 

I am officially proud of the tiny curves I am gaining. 

Anyways, here is some pics of our beading adventures. 

Headshots

This week I took some headshots of some of our youth. There is a fundraiser going on at home for our projects so they wanted to see the faces of our precious young people. These aren't all of them but I thought I would just share a few. 

Lynched

Yesterday, as we were coming home, I witnessed my first lynched body. Yep, a human body.

Our matatu started to slow down and traffic was backing up a little. I noticed mobs of people on both sides of the road. Now, I hate crowds in Kenya. They freak me right out. If there is a large crowd following or looking at something in particular, my red flag shoots right up and I get out of there fast. Kenyans have a very strong 'mob mentality'. I don't know why. Maybe they are curious or bored or need something to get them fired up. But they usually run towards a crowd rather than away. And if something is happening in that crowd, like let's saying, lynching a body, then they will just join into the crowd without thinking about it.

So like I was saying, there were crowds on both sides of the road. I immediately clutch my bag (which now I giggle at thinking that that is my first reaction to danger) and looked at Kelvin. He said to me that it's probably something political since there were some big political rallies in Mombasa happening. As we slowly drove through the crowd, I noticed all eyes were looking at a particular thing on the ground. As we got closer, someone in our matatu said, "RIP" and I knew it was bad. Just as we drove past, I got a glimpse of the body.

I immediately turned away and said, 'Oh my God!' Yah, I don't usually use the Lord's name in vain but this shook me.

All of a sudden, I felt raw. It was such a raw reality. A living, breathing human body is now laying on the side of the road, charred will lumps of coal piled on top.

Now I have seen many dead bodies before. I have seen bodies that have been mixed and mangled from car crashes and other accidents. I have witnessed last breaths. I have escorted moms to the morgue to see their babies. I have been to open-casket funerals. So dead bodies don't bother me. For this, it was the whole situation that bothered me. Watching a human being burn on the ground in the name of 'mob justice'.

We assume the guy did something like stole or slept with someone's wife. Something of that matter. And the locals took it upon themselves to deal with the man.

Really!? REALLY!? Must you go so far...

Of course it made me ponder life and how precious it is. It made me wonder how people can be so cruel to burn a man alive. It made me sick thinking about how all those people gathered just to watch some body burn. They didn't seem to mind. Their faces were blank. I think if I was to stand there I would start balling. I wouldn't want to get a whiff of burning flesh.

My thoughts are still mixed. That image has flashed through my mind for the last 24 hours. I feel anger, hurt, pain, injustice, heartache, fury, confusion, and so many other things. That's just it.

Lynched

Yesterday, as we were coming home, I witnessed my first lynched body. Yep, a human body.

Our matatu started to slow down and traffic was backing up a little. I noticed mobs of people on both sides of the road. Now, I hate crowds in Kenya. They freak me right out. If there is a large crowd following or looking at something in particular, my red flag shoots right up and I get out of there fast. Kenyans have a very strong 'mob mentality'. I don't know why. Maybe they are curious or bored or need something to get them fired up. But they usually run towards a crowd rather than away. And if something is happening in that crowd, like let's saying, lynching a body, then they will just join into the crowd without thinking about it.

So like I was saying, there were crowds on both sides of the road. I immediately clutch my bag (which now I giggle at thinking that that is my first reaction to danger) and looked at Kelvin. He said to me that it's probably something political since there were some big political rallies in Mombasa happening. As we slowly drove through the crowd, I noticed all eyes were looking at a particular thing on the ground. As we got closer, someone in our matatu said, "RIP" and I knew it was bad. Just as we drove past, I got a glimpse of the body.

I immediately turned away and said, 'Oh my God!' Yah, I don't usually use the Lord's name in vain but this shook me.

All of a sudden, I felt raw. It was such a raw reality. A living, breathing human body is now laying on the side of the road, charred will lumps of coal piled on top.

Now I have seen many dead bodies before. I have seen bodies that have been mixed and mangled from car crashes and other accidents. I have witnessed last breaths. I have escorted moms to the morgue to see their babies. I have been to open-casket funerals. So dead bodies don't bother me. For this, it was the whole situation that bothered me. Watching a human being burn on the ground in the name of 'mob justice'.

We assume the guy did something like stole or slept with someone's wife. Something of that matter. And the locals took it upon themselves to deal with the man.

Really!? REALLY!? Must you go so far...

Of course it made me ponder life and how precious it is. It made me wonder how people can be so cruel to burn a man alive. It made me sick thinking about how all those people gathered just to watch some body burn. They didn't seem to mind. Their faces were blank. I think if I was to stand there I would start balling. I wouldn't want to get a whiff of burning flesh.

My thoughts are still mixed. That image has flashed through my mind for the last 24 hours. I feel anger, hurt, pain, injustice, heartache, fury, confusion, and so many other things. That's just it.

Prayers for Protection

I can't take my daily protection for granted. Not in this country. Not with all the crazy things that happen daily.

A few weeks ago, Kelvin started praying. Every time he prayed, he always thanked God for our protection in cars. He thanked God that the matatus we were in were all safe and the motorcycles we rode didn't crash. He thanked God that we went from point A to point B safely.

One of my girls didn't show up for the meeting on Saturday. So when I got home I texted to make sure everything was ok. The next morning I got a text from her aunt telling me that her cousin was in a fatal car accident on Friday and that they buried the body on Saturday. I was definitely sad for my dear girl. But what struck me the most was that it was a car accident. Her cousin probably got in the matatu not even thinking that her life would end. That's how I get into these matatus daily. It doesn't even cross my mind that it could crash. But the reality is that they do, often. Almost daily. Everyday there is a story in the newspaper about fatal car accidents in the country. Even last night a lorry ran head on into a matatu killing 10 passengers. It took two hours just to get the bodies out of the mangled vehicle.

I can't take it for granted that I have never been in any serious accident. Sure, my car has been bumped around a little, but nothing serious.

Another thing is bombs. Yes, bombs. We had another bombing in Mombasa two nights ago at a local night club. One person died. Five sent to hospital with serious injuries. About two months ago there was another bombing but this time it was thrown into a church crusade. One died. Many injured. Both of these places are areas that I pass frequently. I ams sure my feet have stepped on the very ground. It's sobering.

Although it's annoying, I am definitely ok with having a metal detector feel me up and some strange woman rummage through my purse every time I go to church or enter the supermarket. I know I am bomb free and at least I know everyone else is too.

I am so thankful that He protects every step I take. I am sure I walk amongst or interact with some shady characters who could mug me, molest me, steal me, hurt me, or whatever. But I have never had anything stolen from me or never felt my safety has been compromised. My house has never been broken into or even my clothes have never been stolen off the line.

So Kelvin and I will keep sending up prayers for protection and utter praises and thanksgivings for our safety. We serve an amazing God.

It's disturbing me...

Kenyans love the word "disturbing".

"Teacher, he is disturbing me." "My kid has been disturbing me for a new phone." "These issues with my families have been disturbing me." "This pain in my stomach is really disturbing me." 


But for the last few days, something has been disturbing me.

We got news on Monday that one of our boys was really sick in bed. We knew this boy has been sick and I had started getting worried. He had been losing weight and missing practice. But when Kelvin heard he was in bed, he said enough is enough, and decided to take him to the hospital.

Kelvin went to the boys house only to be completely horrified upon entering. The house was disgusting. It was in terrible shape and incredibly dirty. He walked up to the door of the boy's room and refused to go in because his room was so filthy. Kelvin said there was nothing to cook with - no plates, cooker, food, cutlery, nothing. There was no water so all the clothes were dirty. And the mattress the boy and his brother slept on was paper thin. It really startled Kelvin.

This particular boy is one that we have sponsored. We also pay his rent because we realized that he couldn't afford to live if he was in school full time. So we offered to pay his rent and agreed with his sister that she will feed him. This boy has also caused us no end of problems. He has skipped school, been caught smoking, has lied to our faces, and been kicked off the team several times.

So Kelvin got him out of bed and took him to the doctor. The doctor said he has a severe case of scabies.  He has wounds all over his body. I mean all over his body. The poor boy.

The doctor gave him medicines and instructions to clean himself, his stuff and his place. The thing with scabies is that they are extremely contagious. His whole house is probably infested with them. It takes some thorough cleaning to make sure they go away. Trust me, I've had scabies.

As Kelvin was telling me the whole story, I was totally disturbed. Not because it was gross, but because we had no idea he lived like this. In our minds, we thought we had done something great for him only to realize he still had so much need. I can't blame the boy too much. Yes, he is older and should start taking responsibility for his cleanliness and living space. But the boy has no parents. And the ones he had weren't the greatest parents. He is one of 14 kids so naturally some of them get neglected. My mother was the one who taught me how to take care of my stuff, keep clean, and organize my life. Now if i didn't have her, I can't imagine the life I would be living. Same for this boy. No one has taught him. And no one is there to look out for him. He doesn't have a penny to his name. Thats why he couldn't get himself to the hospital. He can't even afford water (which is roughly 4cents for like 20 litres) to bath, wash his clothes, clean his house.

So it's been disturbing me the last few days.

Kelvin and I talked about taking a more holistic approach to sponsoring someone. A lot of the youth we sponsor end up having other issues that go alongside. Some of them can't afford to get to school, some can't eat or pay rent because they are not working, some have babies who need them and can't find someone to look after them while they go to school. So we are praying and brainstorming ideas about to take a more holistic approach to helping them.

One of our ideas involves housing. I thought of originally renting out a big room, filling it with nice stuff, and putting all the boys who need a little helping with their living situation in there. That way they are accountable to one another, they are accountable to us, and at least we know they are taken care of for a while. Kelvin even thought of one day opening a youth home for young people to live in. One of our boys once said to us, "I don't need a sponsorship or a loan for business. I can hustle for my food. The best thing you could help me with is to help with my living expenses." What if these young people (mostly boys) didn't have the pressure of their living expenses, and could work to put themselves through school or save up money to buy their own house or open their own business? All they need is a little help.

It's just an idea/vision right now but who knows, one day it might be a reality. At least for now we know that one of our boys is on his way to become scabies free.

A small glimpse into my week

It's Monday, the start of a new week. So far this morning I have spent a few hours trying to mop up all the dust and dirt and other yuckies around my house. We have a tiny house that seems to get so dirty so quickly. I guess it doesn't help much that there is a huge building project in our backyard that is creating hoards of dust. Sometimes I can see the streams of dust floating through the window. On the bright sigh, it is a delightful overcast day. Mombasa is finally cooling down. 

Anyways, here are a few shots of my week. I have been terrible at communicating and taking pictures in the past few weeks. I promise to try harder. 

The moon

I sat in awe as I watched the moon rise high above the boys as they practiced one night. The boys are back on track with practicing. They won their first game of the league on Saturday. I wasn't there but I heard they were elated and celebrated with vuvuzela's and lots of chanting/singing. 

Groove

Last sunday, the biggest concert in the nation came and did its final show in Mombasa. The Groove tour sets up stages all across the country and profiles the hottest gospel music artists in the country. In Kenya, more often than not, the top songs on the charts are all gospel tunes. It's pretty rad although I feel sometimes we've lost the art of 'worship music'. But at least the lyrics are somewhat clean and holy...

Security was tight with threats of terrorists and such. We went through 4 different security guards just to get through the gates. Once inside, police and security were everywhere, including some 'hidden' police mingling amongst the crowds. With thousands of people inside, they did a pretty good job on the security front. No bombs. That's always a good thing. 

Kelvin and I got cozy in the back sitting on the bleachers in the shade. We totally enjoyed ourselves. I loved seeing some of our boys and some of the ladies. The concert was FREE and close to Kongowea. My heart was happy seeing them enjoying themselves. 

Cooking adventures


My new resolution is to cook nicer food at home and eat out less. Eating out adds up and I can make yummier, cheaper food at home. So this week saw me make pizza, baked chicken, toasted cheese, pumpkin cookies, coconut meat stew and pasta alongside the usual rice, beans, ugali, and sukuma.

I had been wanting to learn to cook the local pilau for a while now. From what I had heard, it was fairly easy and pretty cheap. One of my ladies, Susan, offered to take me home after our meeting on Saturday to teach me how. We giggled the whole way through the process and ended up making some pretty delicious pilau. It passed my husbands standards which is really what I strive for. The real test will be when I try cook it myself at home.

Missin' my Momma 


Yes, Mother's day really made me long for my momma. These are the days I wish I was closer and could celebrate my mother the way she deserves. Good thing I have a pretty rad brother who managed to treat my mom to a nice dinner and her favourite flowers. I did manage to squeeze in a short Skype date with mom in the morning. Thank the Lord for Skype. I wasn't the only one longing for my mom. Neema was practically trying to scratch her way through the screen to get to her.

Journalling


A dear wife/friend/mentor of mine recently encouraged me to start journalling. I used to journal a lot in Kenya mostly because everything was so new and cool and noteworthy. Now I am used to life so it doesn't seem to be worth writing down. But I bought this cute little notebook (that a friend makes and sells for super cheap) and have been writing almost every day. It's been really relaxing to just sit and write openly and honestly about whatever is on my mind.

A new schedule


When we came back from our trip, we knew that we needed to shift some things around in our life and focus on what's really important. The last few months were hard as we tried to balance starting a business, working with the youth, and focusing on being newly married. So now Kelvin has trained one of our boys to manage the business for a few hours in the day leaving us with the mornings together. It has made such a huge difference! We wake up slowly and eat breakfast together while watching our favourite morning shows. We clean up, spend some time reading God's word and just hang out. Sometimes we watch a movie or just talk. Around noon I start preparing lunch and after that Kelvin heads out. He gets what needs to be done in the office before he goes to practice with the boys. I usually plan something for the afternoon. I have been actually heading to Kongowea more to meet up with my ladies one on one. Then we come back home together in the evenings, cook supper, and relax.

This new schedule has not only helped our relationship but also the youth we work with. We find we have more time and energy to pour into them which is what they really need most. It is also what makes us thrive too!

I am grateful the way God has worked it all out.

As for this week, we are still busy. Tonight I am headed to Kongowea to meet with one of my ladies and take some head shots of the boys for a fundraiser happening in Canada. Then the rest of the week is filled with wedding meetings, visiting, bible studies, office work, and, well, sweet time with those who matter most.

An update on our youth

I thought I would just give you a little glimpse into what is happening with the youth we work with.

The boys:


While we were away, its seems that the team sort of crumbled. We were getting text message cries from the boys telling us that their morale was dropping and they were having issues with the coach. We had hired a coach as to relieve Kelvin from being at practice every  night so he could be with his wife. But that backfired. Upon returning, we 'released' the coach (although at that point he was ready to leave too) and had a few players leave the team. You see, another team in Kongowea has been enrolled in the same league as us. A man vying for a political seat decided to sponsor them. I don't know all the details, but some of our boys decided to leave to play for this team, including our captain. Lucky for us, the boys who left were ones who had just joined the team, not ones who have been with us for the past 2 years.

During our trip, Kelvin started sensing that God really needs him to focus more on the boys. He has now rearranged his schedule to fit me, work, and the boys in nicely.

This week, we asked the boys to fill out the same sheet on Visions and Goals that I had my ladies fill out. Honestly, the answers were hilarious. Some of the boys really did a good job. You could tell they thought it through and were serious about it. But some just filled it out like all the others. One thing that impressed me was that, many of them wanted to get rid of bad company in their lives. They want to actively chose to hang out with people that will lead them into good rather than bad. Other than that, all of them pretty much put the same things: get a god-fearing wife, preach peace and unity, play good football, get a nice job, be a noble person, etc. One of the questions on the page was, "What are some things that could hinder you?" and pretty much every boy put "death"! Ha, yes I guess if you died, you wouldn't be able to accomplish your goals. One boy was even more dramatic putting 'to be demolished.' Yah, that would hinder you. But the funniest of all was one boy who must have had someone fill out his form for him. On the form it talked about how he wanted to get an 'A' in his examination, finish his studies well and get a God fearing wife. The funny part is that this boy doesn't even go to school and he already has a wife! We had a good chuckle at that.

All in all, they seem to be back on track. They are all 'busy'. None are sitting idle like so many other young men in the area. We hired one of them to look after the centre and the equipment. Kelvin told me that he saved his money and enrolled himself into driving school! Kelvin is also trying to meet with some of them who accepted Christ in the past few months for a small bible study.

And finally, yesterday, there was a big wedding in the area. The brother of one of our boys was marrying the sister to another one of our boys. Weddings, especially islamic weddings, are quite the ordeal here lasting 2 days with lots of yummy food. So yesterday, Kelvin managed to get all of our boys into the mosque (where lunch was served) and they all ate huge plates of biryani. I am just happy knowing they went home with full bellies.

Which is more than I can say about my ladies...

The ladies:


We resumed our ladies meetings yesterday. I had missed these girls so much for the past 2 weeks! I planned to make beaded necklaces with them. I have this vision/dream to start making jewelry with them and then we can try sell it to make some money for us as a group. So we started slow yesterday. I was praying that they would catch on to it. Well, the instant they laid their eyes on the beads, they were hooked! Three and a half hours later, I had to practically shove them out the door, wrapping up beads for 'goodie bags' for them to take home and finish. They loved it! I will be trying out more types of jewelry in the next couple weeks.

On my way out, one of the girls came up to me and told me about the rough month she was having. She is a teacher and is also still studying. I guess this month she had to pay some huge school fees and she didn't get paid since it was a holiday month. She told me that, for the rest of this month, she only has $6 to live off of. My heart sank. She said it with that fake, giggly smile people get when they are really sad but don't want to let on. I knew we needed to talk more, a heart to heart, so we made plans to meet monday evening for supper and some girl chat.

This week, I am starting a bible study with some of my girls! This has been a dream of mine for a long time and the door has finally opened. I had mentioned it to one girl a few weeks ago, just asking if she would be interested. She enthusiastically said "Yes!" The next week, I had about 3 other girls come up to me saying they want to join to (I guess the word got out.) So Wednesday, we will be starting. My heart really broke for my ladies when one of them told me she had a sister at home who wanted to join the group but she had a baby. I asked why that was a problem and she told me that her sister had the baby out of wedlock and most christian organizations shun that type of stuff. My heart broke. That's not God's heart! That's not what God thinks of this lady and her baby!! That's when I knew I needed to start teaching these girls really what God is all about.

As for us:


We are realizing more and more that the best thing we can give our beloved youth is ourselves. They just need our company, guidance, wisdom, love, acceptance, and compassion. We are trying to figure out just how we can do that. Kelvin has hired one of the boys to help out with the business so that Kelvin only has to work part time so he has more time for me and the boys. It's a balancing act for sure! Pray that God would guide us in being available for these young people we love so dearly.

Got Milk?

Nope.


Kenya, or at least Mombasa, seems to be having some sort of milk shortage. You can't find milk anywhere. I was in the supermarket a couple days ago and they were out of fresh milk and selling 'long life' milk aka milk with preservatives. I bought some but it tastes terrible. And if I were to go back now, I am sure it would be gone.

All the little dukas are also not getting their supply of milk so you can't find it around your home.

It's tough because there are a few Kenyan staples and milk is a big one. Every Kenyan drinks tea (half of it is milk the other half water) in the morning. Most of the milk we buy is fresh so it will go bad in a day or two which means you can't stock up on it or buy 4 litre jugs like at home.

I wonder how this happens. Occasionally, Kenya just runs out of food. Last year it was sugar, a few months ago it was sukuma wiki and now milk. First, the prices double (1/2 litre of milk went from 30KES to 55KES in a matter of weeks) then you realize that you can no longer find it in the shelves. I guess it shows you how much of our food is locally grown (which is cool) but also shows you the lack of knowledge or proper planning to make sure these 'shortages' don't happen. Maybe if we focused a little less on political  dynamics and more on the needs of the people, this wouldn't happen.

Otherwise, this morning we are drinking black, lemongrass tea. Pretty yummy.

Thinking Simplicity

Kelvin said to me a little while ago, "I know you can live in whatever conditions. You don't need much. You are quite simple." This came up as we were talking about life and where to go and how to live and general dreaming type stuff. 

I took it as a compliment. I do think I am quite simple in my living. 

Yesterday, we skipped church..again..and stayed home to have a wonderful day at home. On Sundays, Oprah comes on at 1:30pm. We usually miss it because of church. But we got the chance to watch it. I am not the biggest fan but I tend to gravitate towards any TV show that is not a spanish soap opera, a nigerian movie, or swahili news. 

The show was on living simply and profiled the lives a few american families who just collected so much 'stuff'. One mom lived in a mansion with her two sons and gave them everything they wanted. She also had a closet full of $400 shoes that she had never worn. The other family was a mom who just bargain hunted like a monster. Any bargain she would find, she would stock up on. I mean, bargain hunting is great, but this lady had 100 boxes of cereal...a little overboard. (Actually, Kenya never has bargains or sales in the supermarkets. I miss that. The prices do go up and down a lot though depending on the supply. Currently milk has sky-rocketed in price while ugali has gone down. I miss sales, bargains, 2 for 1 deals.) 

The show made me a little sick considering where I live. Kenyans live very simple cause they don't have the means to be extravagant. But then I had to remember that I do come from the land of excess and too much. I can be guilty too. 

In both of these families, when they cut out all their 'stuff' and started to live a little more simply they found that their families grew tighter. They ate their meals together and played games in the evenings. THey walked to school together and became more creative. It was a healthy change for their families. 

It inspired me to take a look at my life and see how I am clogging up my time with things that are not building me or my family up. 

The biggest thing for me (us, Kelvin too) is technology or our phones. We both have phones that have internet so we are constantly browsing. Sometimes it is the first thing I do when I wake up. What would it look like if we turned off our phones for a little while and just focused on something else like each other? 

Just before we left for vacation, my iPod and our iPhone both died. I was pretty bummed. I mean 13 hours on bus with no music? That's no fun. Then I also forgot my camera and was pretty upset about that too. But I did indeed manage. I had to entertain myself on the bus which resulted in more talking with my husband. Not having my camera allowed me to be fully present in the moment rather than constantly figuring out how to capture the moment well so I can post it in my blog. 

Once we reached Kelvin's mom's place, my simple lifestyle was challenged. I just finished a yummy chocolate bar and asked Kelvin where the garbage bin is for the wrapper. "She doesn't have one." What? Who doesn't have a garbage can? She doesn't have one cause she doesn't need one. She lives with so little waste. I was so embarrassed over the next couple days with my 'simple' life. I went to bath with a sponge, shower gel, and conditioner (not even shampoo people). Everyone else went to bath with a bar of soap. I had a gigantic suitcase just for me while his sister showed up with a backpack with clothes for 2 weeks. I had my handy flash light, travel pillow, and fluffy socks for night time where everyone else slept in their clothes with no pillow and no light to see at night. I looked like a princess. 

I am not poo-pooeing stuff. I like stuff. I like my technology but when it is getting in the way of building relationships or fully enjoying the moment, I think it needs to put away. Everything in moderation right? 

Right after we watched the show, we decided to turn off the tv and go for a walk at the beach. I only put 200shillings ($2.50) in my pocket and our keys and we headed out the door.  We spent $1 on transport and 50cents on two bags of cassava chips. We had a great 2 hour walk on the beach with no distractions. A perfect outing with my hubby. 

As of now, the tv is off, the cat is purring on my lap and I am drinking a sweet cup of black, lemongrass tea. The simple life...

Sleep, mud, chai, car-sick Kenyans, peace, and family.

That pretty much sums up our vacation.

Sleep- We crashed. Upon arriving in Ilula, we passed right out. Each day we had naps in the morning and afternoon. We had the best night sleeps in the cold, quiet environment. Once we got to Nairobi, we spent the mornings just hanging out in bed sleeping, reading, and having breakfast in bed. Our bodies obviously needed all the rest. 


Mud- The rains have definitely hit Kenya (except Mombasa for some reason). The whole country seems to be flooding. Most of our trip was spent in the village where there is no paved roads, just dirt. And what happens when dirt and water mix? MUD and lots of it. We were covered in it. We had to take motorcycles to the village where Kelvin's mom lives. It was raining which caused our motorcycles to slide back and forth like a car on ice in the winter. I enjoyed the rain thoroughly but could have lived without the mud. The rain was so harsh that it caused huge flooding all across the country (people have died because of it). The night before we left Nairobi for home, a bridge had flooded so no cars could pass making all the buses to be late. Because of it we got nice fancy bus for the ride home since ours hadn't arrived. However, on our way out we hit major traffic as the road had flooded. The water was at least 2-3 feet deep. Thankfully, our bus was high enough to drive right through it. 


Chai- We probably drank 50 cups of chai each in the 10 days we were gone. With the cold weather, it was the perfect thing to warm us up while we visited with our loved ones. We ate some pretty wonderful food along the way too. I devoured every piece of chicken that came my way. 


Car-sick Kenyans- We took a lot of buses. We covered a lot of miles. And I have never seen so many people get car-sick. I can't stand the sound of people vomiting so it was uncomfortable for me. I felt like walking around the bus and handing everyone some of my gravol. We realized that it was mostly people from the village who were getting sick. We also realized that these people would eat huge meals while travelling. Not smart people, not smart. 


Peace- I think our theme for this trip was 'peace'. Before leaving, I started praying to become a woman of peace. Like deep, soul peace in all circumstances. That is what I have been craving the last few months. I am slowly learning how to step into the peace God has made available to me. During our time in Ilula, I had a man say to me, "I just feel an incredible sense of peace about you." I thought that was pretty powerful considering we had only met a couple days before. Kelvin also shared with me during the end of the trip that he is feeling more at peace now as well and that was something God was showing him during this trip. God has been good to us. 


Family- We were so warmly welcomed in Ilula,  Kelvin especially. The people there have been my family in Kenya for the past 6 and a half years and now they have opened their arms to Kelvin as well. They made it very clear that he was indeed their 'son'. The children adored him and adopted him as their new big brother. Then once we got to Kelvin's mom's place, we were privileged to spend some sweet time with his twin sisters who were on holiday from school. Then his other sister and niece showed up which made for a house full of girls. I am pretty blessed to have so many sisters.  


It was a wonderful trip. We are now back in Mombasa feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, ready to continue to do what God has asked us to. We are making some changes in our schedules to focus on what we believe is important. Our boys seem to be in some sort of crisis right now. We just released the coach as we think he was a big part of the problem. And they are at each other's throats like little girls so we have some major damage control to attend to. We are having a big meeting on Monday with all of them to sort it out. It's hurts when your 'kids' aren't happy.  Such is life.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera at home and was unable to capture the many awesome moments of this trip.

Thanking Jesus for how good He is to us!

Sleep, mud, chai, car-sick Kenyans, peace, and family.

That pretty much sums up our vacation.

Sleep- We crashed. Upon arriving in Ilula, we passed right out. Each day we had naps in the morning and afternoon. We had the best night sleeps in the cold, quiet environment. Once we got to Nairobi, we spent the mornings just hanging out in bed sleeping, reading, and having breakfast in bed. Our bodies obviously needed all the rest. 


Mud- The rains have definitely hit Kenya (except Mombasa for some reason). The whole country seems to be flooding. Most of our trip was spent in the village where there is no paved roads, just dirt. And what happens when dirt and water mix? MUD and lots of it. We were covered in it. We had to take motorcycles to the village where Kelvin's mom lives. It was raining which caused our motorcycles to slide back and forth like a car on ice in the winter. I enjoyed the rain thoroughly but could have lived without the mud. The rain was so harsh that it caused huge flooding all across the country (people have died because of it). The night before we left Nairobi for home, a bridge had flooded so no cars could pass making all the buses to be late. Because of it we got nice fancy bus for the ride home since ours hadn't arrived. However, on our way out we hit major traffic as the road had flooded. The water was at least 2-3 feet deep. Thankfully, our bus was high enough to drive right through it. 


Chai- We probably drank 50 cups of chai each in the 10 days we were gone. With the cold weather, it was the perfect thing to warm us up while we visited with our loved ones. We ate some pretty wonderful food along the way too. I devoured every piece of chicken that came my way. 


Car-sick Kenyans- We took a lot of buses. We covered a lot of miles. And I have never seen so many people get car-sick. I can't stand the sound of people vomiting so it was uncomfortable for me. I felt like walking around the bus and handing everyone some of my gravol. We realized that it was mostly people from the village who were getting sick. We also realized that these people would eat huge meals while travelling. Not smart people, not smart. 


Peace- I think our theme for this trip was 'peace'. Before leaving, I started praying to become a woman of peace. Like deep, soul peace in all circumstances. That is what I have been craving the last few months. I am slowly learning how to step into the peace God has made available to me. During our time in Ilula, I had a man say to me, "I just feel an incredible sense of peace about you." I thought that was pretty powerful considering we had only met a couple days before. Kelvin also shared with me during the end of the trip that he is feeling more at peace now as well and that was something God was showing him during this trip. God has been good to us. 


Family- We were so warmly welcomed in Ilula,  Kelvin especially. The people there have been my family in Kenya for the past 6 and a half years and now they have opened their arms to Kelvin as well. They made it very clear that he was indeed their 'son'. The children adored him and adopted him as their new big brother. Then once we got to Kelvin's mom's place, we were privileged to spend some sweet time with his twin sisters who were on holiday from school. Then his other sister and niece showed up which made for a house full of girls. I am pretty blessed to have so many sisters.  


It was a wonderful trip. We are now back in Mombasa feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, ready to continue to do what God has asked us to. We are making some changes in our schedules to focus on what we believe is important. Our boys seem to be in some sort of crisis right now. We just released the coach as we think he was a big part of the problem. And they are at each other's throats like little girls so we have some major damage control to attend to. We are having a big meeting on Monday with all of them to sort it out. It's hurts when your 'kids' aren't happy.  Such is life.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera at home and was unable to capture the many awesome moments of this trip.

Thanking Jesus for how good He is to us!

Jumpin' up and down and flailin' all around

I skipped church this morning.

Forgive me.

I chose to stay home and prepare the house before we travel tomorrow. I forgot how much you have to do just so you can leave and come back to a clean, sane, in order house. I admire my mother as I now realize all she had to do to get us ready to leave. I get her now. That's happening more these days: getting my mother.

I chose to stay home from church to clean (gasp! my parents are probably so confused. What happened to their lazy, princess daughter who never liked to clean anything?). I guess that shows you just about how excited I am about church these days.

Recently, I have been coming home from church more drained, tired and cranky than I should be. I think its a combination of the heat, the dreadful metal roof we sit under, and the 3+ hours of church we 'do'. It's not been my favourite day of the week.

So I played hookie today. And I am so glad I did.

The hubby went though. Thats was ok. The minute he stepped out the door, I turned to my iTunes. The first song I played was "I am a friend of God." Within seconds I could feel my spirit lifting. I felt so light. I started moving my hips, then bouncing a little, then, just as the chorus hit, I broke out into full jumping and flailing my arms in the air. It. felt. so. good.

Do you ever have those moments? I thank my mother, again, who always created an atmosphere of spontaneous dance sessions in our house. I didn't want to stop today. I just couldn't wipe the smile off my face, I couldn't stop jumping (even though everything in my body was telling my to), and I felt so FULL. It's that in moment where God reminded me of how awesome He is, He touched me with his Spirit, He came close and reminded me that I, indeed, am His friend.

I needed that.

We are SO ready to get out of this city tomorrow. I am actually looking forward to the 15 hour bus ride ahead of us just cause I want to get away. Kelvin and I crashed yesterday - tired and weary of everything. We need this break.

We are heading to my favourite place on earth:Ilula! I am going to introduce my husband to all the kids. Today, I found a note one of them wrote me last time I was there which read, "You are now growing up & getting married. I hope you will come visit when you are two." I am coming my sweet kids!! We will have a small wedding celebration with them with cake and rejoicing. I just printed off some photos and put them in an album for them to all see. I just can't wait for all the hugs!!!

After that we will head to Kisumu for 2 days just to hang out together. We are going to ride on the back of bicycles and eat fresh tilapia beside Lake Victoria.

Then we will go to Kelvin's mom's place for a few days. Kelvin has told me he wants to dig a borehole when there.....um....fun? I might just watch. It will be a nice couple days of village life, eating fresh food, connecting with family, and fireflies!!!

Seeing how our pockets are holding up, we will decided what to do after that. We might hit Nairobi for a couple days or maybe explore some other little town in Kenya. We don't know. But that's the fun of it all.

I won't be blogging for the next couple weeks. Hopefully you will get a more 'refreshed' Nikole when I return.

A ladies day out

The girls had been asking me for a while, "When are we going swimming?" I think they are just desperate to get out of Kongowea. They probably don't get out a lot. I figured that it was about time I treated them to a day out. 

We went to a local resort and had an absolute blast. We laughed watching each other attempting to swim. We played games. We chatted. We relaxed. We talked. We did girl stuff. 

They all stuck to the wall. They aren't the best of swimmers but ventured into the deep end by holding on to the wall.

Tina had a bit of a scary incident when she got herself a little too deep and couldn't get her head above water. I had to go get her. She was fine. We all laughed. 

We arranged for a conference room and hung out there for a few hours in the afternoon. Go figure that the ONE day that it decides to get rainy and blustery, we go to the pool. I had been praying for rain and some cool weather but not on the day where we were going swimming. It was so nice to have a 'warm' room to hang out in while it poured outside. Rahab came to join us for the day and made us play some silly games. 

 I didn't just want this day to be about fun. I wanted the girls to also learn a bit. I brought in my dear friend Maria to come and talk to the girls. I have been really encouraging the girls to discover their gifts, talents, strengths, and the things they love doing. I want them to be able to use the things that they love to do most and that they are best to make a living for themselves. I find that so many people in Kenya find jobs just for the money yet are so unsatisfied with their lives. I want these ladies to LOVE what they do. And they are at the point in their lives where they can choose what they want to do in life. SO Maria really encouraged them in this direction more. Maria just quit her job as a high end marketing director for a local company that produces palm oil products. She quit her job because it was draining her. Although she was making good money and she was good at what she was doing, she was so unfulfilled. She has decided to pursue  her passion in graphic design and is in the beginning stages of starting her own company. I wanted her to be an inspiration to the girls to follow their passions when it comes to career. Not just go where the money is. 

Maria made every girl come up, write their names vertically, and then write an adjective describing themselves beside each letter of their names. It was a great exercise for the ladies to discover themselves and then to be proud of who they are!

This was by-far my favourite one. Especially the first two. The great part is that it pretty much describes this girl to the tee. Hilarious. 

 At the end of the day we headed to  beach for a stroll. It was easter so the beach was buzzing with activity. 

I came home smiling after a great day with these sweet girls. 

The first meeting

I remember seeing a dark shadow walking down the dark hallway. My first thought was that he was short and walked with a kink. Rahab (my beloved friend) had just introduced herself to me and welcomed me to Word of Life. Cheery and welcoming as she always is, she offered to take me around and introduce me to people. She was closing the kitchen door when the dark shadow appeared into the light.

"This is Kevin. Or o-pie-o!" she introduced (yes, Rahab was actually the one who introduced us). They all laughed. I didn't get it.

We all sat on some rocks right near the kitchen and told stories. They made the effort to speak in english but I still didn't say much. They replayed the funny parts on their favourite tv show and burst into laughter. I didn't think it was funny. I remember wondering why Kelvin was laughing so much...it wasn't funny. I didn't think much of him. Nice to meet him. That's it.

A half hour later he invited me to watch the tv show they were all talking about. He practically peed himself in the corner while I still struggled to understand why it was funny. It was nice he was making the effort to make me feel welcome.

I forget the rest of the night but it was the start of the most confusing yet wonderful 3 weeks of my life.

I was going through a confusing time in my life and just wanted to hear from God. I just wanted to reconnect with Him. I was so hungry for some direction from my heavenly Father. But over the next week, I developed the strangest attraction to Kevin or Calvin (took me a while to figure out it was Kelvin). I prayed, repented, and begged God to get my focus away from him. I felt like I was in eight grade again and got butterflies every time my crush passed by my locker.

A week and a half later, we found ourselves in the office chatting after a long day of camp. By the morning, we had literally decided to get married.

Yes, we decided to. We had feelings for each other but it was more of an intellectual decision.

When I look back, it was truly crazy. But I am so thankful for that conversation. Because honestly, I think I would have let Kelvin slip away if I hadn't made a crazy commitment of marriage to a man I barely knew.

I had doubts. We both did. But we both drew near to God and He kept urging us to have faith in the way He directs our steps.

That was 3 years ago this week. March 31st was the day we met. April 7th was the day he took me for an innocent scoop of ice cream. April 10th was the day we decided we would get married.

I remember being so uncertain.

But am I ever glad I had an ounce of faith in me. Cause just look at us now.

Visions and Goals

A couple Saturdays ago, my topic with the girls was "Visions and Goals". As I have talked with Kenyans, I have learned that while they were growing up, they weren't encouraged to think about their futures or to make any goals for their lives. A friend of mine told me, "From the age of seven, my mom was teaching me to be a wife. That was it. We were never told to think of anything else for our lives." I started to wonder if this was the same for my own girls.

I had a little discussion with them about what it means to have a vision for your life, to set goals, and then to plan the steps in how you can achieve your goals. I had made a little sheet that I asked them to fill out and then bring back to me the next week. On the sheet, they were to write 3 goals they want to accomplish by the end of the year and how they plan to meet those goals. They were to write 3 goals for their life time and how to accomplish them. They wrote of the various things that would hinder them from achieving these goals and then they wrote a general vision they had for their lives.

I got back the sheets this week and finally read them today. I was smiling ear to ear hearing the hearts of these sweet sweet girls. I sat and prayerfully looked through them asking that God would help them to accomplish all their dreams. I know their are some that I can help. For instance, one girl wants to write and produce a song by the end of this year. I just happen to have a really good friend who is a famous gospel artist and just finished recording her album. I am going to see if I could hook them up.

So here were some of their goals:
- to write a song
- to be a good mother
- to be God-fear
- to help my parents
- to achieve (certain) grades in school this year
- to finish computer classes
- to have good morals
- to help the orphans and the needy in the community
- to obey my elders
- to be an accountant/secretary/business lady/journalist
- to preach peace all over the world
- to start a netball association
- to unite our family
- to fight poverty amongst their beloved community
- to have my own tv show
- to remain faithful in terms of a relationship (not fooling around with boys)
- to care for the environment (this is so un-kenyan)

Quite a few of them put "having fun" as one of their goals. I think that is such a great goal! Then they talked about the ways they were going to make sure they have fun ie. go to the beach, hang out with friends, play games,etc. Go have fun girls! 

I was surprised how selfless many of their goals were. Most of them wanted to help their families. Many of them wanted to help out their community (especially orphans - we have a couple girls who are actually orphans). All of them want to walk with God. Alot of them wanted to preach peace in the world. Their hearts are beautiful!!

The biggest challenge for them is finances. That is no surprise.

At the bottom of the page, I wrote in quotes:

"*Remember: God has a purpose for all our lives. He created you to do great things. If He puts a goal or vision on your heart, He also provides a way to accomplish it. Nothing is impossible without Him but you must have faith"


Sometimes I just think of all the goals or visions God has put on my heart over the years and of how they have come true. I mean the Rehma Ladies was a vision I had and look at us now! Our God is so amazing.

Pray for these ladies. I really want to help all of them but in my own capacity, I can't. I am trying to think of ways that we, as a group, can make some money. I have a few ideas so far but will let you know when they transpire. 

Tumechoka

Tumechoka. We. are. tired. 

Just after taking this photo, Kelvin says to me, 

"Baby, you need to wipe all the sweat off your head. Your face is shiny." 

People, we are tired. Really tired. 

What do I mean by that? We are tired of just life. Kelvin and I both feel exhausted with everything - work, the boys, the ladies, the HEAT, mombasa, our church, the food, finances, and well, everything. 

This morning, Kelvin woke up with a sore throat and a stuffed nose. The fan is giving him so many troubles at night. The tough part is that the fan is so necessary. I woke up the second the power went out last night and immediately started sweating. In the mornings, I find that I wake up more tired and dehydrated than before I went to bed. Yes, the heat has been horrible. I mean horrible. (Canadians, don't even begin to complain about the snow and rain. At least you have the option of a warm house. We don't have cool air. Ever.)

Yesterday, I had a rough morning before heading to church (I believe it was the devil scheming). I was in tears as I was sweating, trying to muster up any energy, battling a heat headache, not able to find the right clothes to wear, struggling with my bra (yes, my bra), and general weariness. I am so glad I pushed through and went to church. Church was SO refreshing for both Kelvin and I. We really needed it. On the way home though, I was drained. I was so hot, still had my headache, tired, emotional, and tired. I got home and passed out on the couch. We didn't eat lunch till 4. 

We love our work, but we are a little tired of it. We love our house, but we are tired. Mombasa is great, but I am tired of it. I remember other missionaries telling me that after every 3 months, they start to get weary and tired and must get a away even if it is only for a couple days. That is where we are at. 

Every morning, as we are eating breakfast, we do a lent devotional which is preparing our hearts for Easter. As we are walking along with Jesus, as he walks in his final hours, we are amazed at His strength. Particularly, his weakest moment in Gethsemane has really struck us. The moment where He feels He can go on no longer and asks for this cup to be removed from Him. At that moment, He must have mustered up some supernatural strength from His Father above to say, "Yet not my will be done, but yours." He knows what is going to happen. He knows the cup won't be taken away from Him. But He draws strength from The Father to do what He is suppose to. 

Kelvin and I are tired. But in our weak moments, we have decided to draw our strength from God trusting that He will indeed grant us the rest we need and renew our energy.